Container carrier and package



June 20, 1961 E. G. SWICK 2,989,177 CONTAINER CARRIER AND PACKAGE "FiledJan. 16, 1959 ZZW INVENTOR. flaw/z 6 Jazz/a RQZW/MR/ Unite States2,989,177 CONTAINER CARRIER AND PACKAGE Edwin Grant Swick, Bartlett,Ill., assignor to Illinois Tool Works, Chicago, 111., a corporation ofIllinois Filed Jan. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 787,155 3 Claims. (Cl. 206-65)This invention is concerned with a carrier for carrying containers, forexample, beer cans, and the resulting package.

As is well known, it is common practice to secure a plurality of canstogether for carrying as a package. For many years, pasteboard has beenused as a carrier. However, pasteboard packages are expensive anddifiicult to assemble with cans. Furthermore, they tend to be too weakto resist dropping of the package without rupture, or else to be sostrong that they are very difficult to open. Metal clips also have beenused to secure adjacent cans together, but there has not been any greatcommercial activity to date using such clips.

In the copending application of O. J. Poupitch for Container Carrier andPackage, Ser. No. 775,333, filed December 1, 1958, owned by the assigneeof this application, and now US. Patent 2,874,835, there is disclosedand claimed a superior type of carrier formed of a single sheet ofunsupported plastic material, such as polyethylene. The sheet of plasticmaterial is provided with suitable apertures so that containers, such ascans, might be pushed through the apertures, thereby stretching anddeforming the material adjacent the apertures into frustoconical lipslocking beneath the container beads. This application is concerned witha carrier of somewhat the same type.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved containercarrier of plastic sheet material, of the type 'just noted.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a sheet plasticcontainer carrier having means adapted to be displaced from the surfacethereof to provide handle means for carrying the package resulting fromassociation of the carrier with a plurality of containers.

A further object of this invention is to provide a carrier forcontainers and the like which carrier comprises a horizontal plasticsheet having straps or bands defined therein for movement out of theplane of the sheet, which bands in some instances can be used ashandles, or as retaining devices for an additional container.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent from the following description when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container carrier constructed inaccordance with the principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the carrier as associated with aplurality of containers and forming a package unit;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a modified form. of the carrier;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the carrier of FIG. 3 as associatedwith a plurality of containers;

FIG. 5 is an end view thereof; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a further modified form of the invention.

Referring now in greater particularity to the drawings, and first toFIGS. 1 and 2, there is provided a carrier identified generally by thenumeral 10, comprising a rectangular sheet of plastic material,polyethylene being one preferred example. The sheet 10 is providedadjacent its four corners with four circular apertures 12. Intermediatethese apertures, relatively toward the longitudinal sides Patented June20, 1961 'ice of the carrier, there are two elliptical or elongatedapertures 14. These apertures do not necessarily follow a regulargeometric figure, but are smoothly curved throughout, and are elongatedlongitudinally of the carrier. Intermediate the apertures 14- there isprovided a pair of spaced, elongated apertures or slots 16 definingbetween them a strip 18. The slots 16 are provided with rounded ends 20,to prevent tearing of the material.

The carrier 10 is associated with a plurality of containers 22, as inFIG. 2, by forcing the carrier down over the containers, or conversely,by forcing the containers up through the carrier. This causes thematerial around each of the apertures 12 and'14 to deform and stretchupwardly to form lips 24 projecting from the surface of the sheet, andlocking beneath the beads 26 of the containers 22, herein illustrated ascans, such as beer cans. In each instance, the lips 24 are substantiallycontinuous and uninterrupted, and form substantially surface engagementwith the can, whereby to resist retrograde withdrawal. However, the cansbe Withdrawn without too much difliculty by moving them up through thecarrier. In other words, they are removed in the same direction as theyare inserted.

The elongated shape of the apertures 14 is of considerable importance.It obviously provides clearance for the slots 16 defining the strap 18,which serves as a handle, as will be apparent in FIG. 2. However, sincethe minor axis or transverse dimension of each of the apertures 14 issubstantially less than the can diameter (the major axis or longdimension is slightly less than the can diameter, similar to thediameter of the apertures 12 relative to the can) the plastic materialadjacent the apertures 14 necessarily stretches sideways, and thiscauses the carrier to draw in longitudinally. Thus, the material in thecentral portion of the carrier is drawn in longitudinally, leading toscallops 28 between the adjacent apertures, and more important, drawingthe ends of the strap 18 somewhat more closely together. Thus, the strap18 is deformed upwards out of the plane of the sheet carrier 10, as inFIG. 2. Hence, the strap 18 readily serves as a handle to carry thepackage, hereinafter identified by the numeral 30. As will be apparent,the handle 18 will tend to stretch slightly, also, thereby providingadequate clearance for the knuckles of the user above the tops of theadjacent cans.

A further form of carrier having a strap to be disposed above the top ofthe carrier is illustrated at 10a in FIGS. 3 and 4. The carrier isgenerally similar to that of FIG. 1, but has six circular apertures 12acorresponding more or less to the apertures 12 and 14 of FIG. 1. Inaddition, there are two apertures 32 disposed along the longitudinalcenter line of the carrier 10a, being uniformly spaced among theapertures 12a. The opposite ends of the carrier are provided with aconcave configuration at 34, whereby to conserve material, and toimprove stress distribution within the carrier.

The essential distinction of the embodiment of FIGS. 3-5, relative toFIGS. 1 and 2, resides in the provision of a pair of arcuate slots 36about the apertures 32. These arcuateslots are concave toward oneanother, and extend in an arc of somewhat over The slots are terminatedby radii 38 to prevent tearing of the plastic sheet material. Thearcuate slots 36 coact with the apertures 32 to define arcuate orC-shaped straps 18a extending over slightly more than a semi-circle. Aswill be apparent, these straps 1811 can be readily flexed up out of thesurface of the sheet carrier 10a, and therefore could be used directlyas handles. However, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is preferred todeflect the straps 18a up and to stretch them over another can orcontainer 40, which thereby lies above the major portion of the carrierand of the remaining cans or containers 22a. As will be apparent, thecan or container 40 readily can be grasped manually for carrying of thepackage 30a.

7 A further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 6. Like theprevious embodiments, the parts are generally similar, and similarnumerals are used to identify similar parts, with the addition of thesulfur b. The embodiment of FIG. 6 is substantially identical with thatof FIG. 3, and repetition of description largely is unnecessary. Thedistinguishing feature is that all of the apertures 12b are elongated.They may be elliptical, or otherwise elongated in the form of smoothcurves. As will be apparent from the drawing, the two center apertures12b are oriented wtih their longer dimensions transverse of the carrier10b, while the four corner apertures 12b are oriented diagonally at 45,the long dimensions of these four apertures being transverse of linesbisecting the angles at the corners of the carrier. The ellipticalapertures provide improved stress distribution when the carrier isassembled with containers. In addition, the disposition of the cornerapertures facilitates removal of cans or containers therefrom by atipping action and pulling outwardly away from the corners.

It will now be apparent that a superior sheet plastic carrier has beenprovided for cans and other containers. In each instance, elongatedslots, either straight or arcuate, in the sheet provided straps whichare deformable up from the plane of the sheet for carrying of thepackage of cans and carrier. As has been noted, the strap can be graspedmanually, or, in one form of the invention, the pair of straps can beassociated with another can, which then serves as a handle.

The specific embodiments of the invention as herein shown and describedwill be understood as being exem plary only. Various changes instructure will no doubt occur to those skilled in the art, and are to beunderstood as forming a part of this invention, insofar as they fallwithin the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A carrier package comprising a plurality of containers havingcurvilinear cross-sections and annular enlargements, and a sheet ofsubstantially unsupported plastic material having a plurality ofcurvilinear apertures therein, said sheet of plastic material beingresilient, deformable, and elastic, the material at the edge of eachaperture being circumferentially continuous and uninterrupted, theperipheral measurement of each aperture being less than that of thecorresponding containers whereby the containers, inserted axiallythrough said apertures, stretch and deform the material adjacent theapertures, the material adjacent the apertures being in the form ofaxially directed necks engaging said containers below said enlargementsand resiliently gripping said containers to resist withdrawal thereof,said containers depending from said sheet of plastic material inside-by-side abutting relation whereby to reinforce one another uponcarrying of said package, said'sheet having arcuate slots therein andholes concentric with the arcs providing strap means of arcuateconfiguration bendable from the plane of the carrier, and furtherincluding an additional container secured by said straps and adapted formanual gripping to lift said package.

2. A carrier for carrying a plurality of containers or the like in sideby side substantially abutting relation and having peripheralenlargements at one end; and comprising a substantially unsupportedsheet of plastic material, said sheet of plastic material beingresilient, deformable, and elastic and having spaced elongated andgenerally similar substantially parallel slit means along the centerportion of the sheetand defining therebetween a handle strap portion,said sheet having a plurality of apertures therein with a central pairof opposed apertures on opposite sides of the handle strap portion andelongated in the direction of the handle strap portion to present majoraxes prior to association of containers with the apertures, each of saidapertures having a peripheral measurement less than the periphery of acorresponding container and the material at the edge of each aperturebeing circuinferentially continuous and uninterrupted, the apertures inthe sheet being intended for association with the containers wherebysuch containers can be inserted through the apertures from a givendirection when the material adjacent the apertures is stretched anddeformed to form circumferentially continuous lips embracing thecontainers beneath said peripheral enlargements and resiliently grippingthe containers, the association of containers with the central pair ofapertures being effective to how the handle strap portion out of theplane of the sheet by the shortening of the major axes of said pair ofapertures with resultant shortening of the sheet lengthwise of thehandle strap portion.

3. A carrier package comprising a plurality of containers havingcurvilinear cross-sections and annular enlargements, and a sheet ofsubstantially unsupported plastic material, said sheet of plasticmaterial being resilient, deformable and elastic, and having spacedelongated and generally similar substantially parallel slit means alongthe center portion of the sheet and defining therebetween a handle strapportion, said sheet having a plurality of apertures therein with acentral pair of opposed apertures on opposite sides of the handle strapportion and elongated in the direction of the handle strap portion topresent major axes prior to association of the containers with theapertures, the material at the edge of each aperture beingcircumferential'ly continuous and uninterrupted, the peripheralmeasurement of each aperture being less than that of the correspondingcontainers whereby the containers, inserted axially through saidapertures, stretch and deform the material adjacent the apertures, thematerial adjacent the apertures being in the form of axially directednecks engaging said containers below said enlargements and resilientlygripping said containers to resist withdrawal thereof, said containersdepending from said sheet of plastic material in side by side abuttingrelation whereby to reinforce one another upon carrying of said package,the inserted containers in the central pair of apertures shortening themajor axes thereof with resultant shortening of the sheet lengthwise ofthe handle strap portion to bow said handle strap portion out of theplane of the sheet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

